Login or Register to make a submission.

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • The submission file is in Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format (RTF). (Note: PDF files are discouraged because they will not allow editorial commentary or suggestions on works selected for publication.) For Creative Works requiring audio or video files: audio file is submitted in mp3 format; video file is submitted in mp4 format.
  • Where applicable and available, URLs for referenced works have been provided.
  • For text-based entries: the text is single-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points within the text, rather than at the end.

  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines section, located under the "About the Journal" heading.

  • If submitting to a peer-reviewed section of the journal (Problems in Education, Original Research Studies, Self Care & Health, Creative Works, Book Review), the instructions in Ensuring a Blind Review have been followed.

  • To help achieve the A4E goal of radical accessibility, the author agrees to: (1) allow the article to be translated to Spanish or English, as the case may be, and (2) consider submitting an audio or video file of the author reading her/his own work. The author understands that the audio file and Spanish translation, when possible, will be published alongside of the accepted submission.

Author Guidelines

Style requirements. Writers should strive for engaging prose that draws the reader in and stimulates dialogue. Avoid preachy, confrontational, binary, or unproductive arguments. These papers are written for laypeople unfamiliar with educational acronyms and rhetoric. Therefore, please omit jargon and use accessible language to explain terminology particular to the field of education. Analogies or metaphors are particularly useful ways to explain the complicated machinery of educational law and practice. Similarly, minimize the number of parenthetical citations in your text and avoid footnotes. Incorporate necessary references into the body of your text when possible, and provide a list of references during the submission process.

Accessibility. Submissions in English and in Spanish are welcome. Translations of published works (from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English) will be provided when possible. If selected for publication, bilingual authors are encouraged to provide their own translation, to help A4E to achieve its goal of maximum accessibility in both languages. Published authors will be invited to submit an audio or video recording of themselves reading their work, to help fulfill the journal's goal of maximum accessibility.

Eligible Authorship. Anyone with a direct role in G-16+ education (gestation through graduate school) is an eligible A4E author. We actively seek a variety of voices--including classroom teachers, parents, administrators, students, professors, school board members, and other involved members of the community.

Journal Sections. Authors can submit to six sections in the journal: (1) Problems in Education: Making Good Use of Legislation, Policy, and Research, (2) Original Research Studies, (3) Perspectives from the Field, (4) Self Care and Health, (5) Creative Works, and (6) Book Reviews. See section policies for more information about each.

Publication Schedule and Calls for Submission. This journal is published twice annually, in Fall and Spring, with identified themes for each issue. See the A4E home page for Calls for Submission for upcoming issues. Open-theme submissions are always welcome but may appear in a subsequent issue.

Click here for directions on how to register and submit to A4E.

Problems in Education: Making Good Use of Legislation, Policy, and Research

Problems in Education: Making Good Use of Legislation, Policy, and Research articles apply work by respected scholars to solve problems in education. Submissions must be brief (typically 1500-2500 words or 5-minute audio/video) and written in an engaging, narrative style that draws the reader in and stimulates dialogue. In-text citations should be kept to a minimum to encourage ease of readability. References, either in the form of an APA-style list of works cited or text links to referenced works embedded in the text, are required. Accepted submissions will be published in English, and when possible, Spanish translations will be provided. To maximize accessibility, authors of published texts will be invited to record and submit an audio or visual recording of themselves reading their piece; this AV file will be published alongside of the text-based version. Writing Prompt: How can published works in legislation, policy, and/or research be applied to address current issues in education? (written for the general public, typically 1500-2500 words or 5-7 minute audio/video files)

Accepted submissions will be published via the Allies for Education journal, hosted by the John Spoor Broome Library at CSU Channel Islands through Open Journal Systems (OJS).

Accessibility: Translations of published works, from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English, will be provided when possible. If selected for publication, bilingual authors are encouraged to provide their own translation, to help A4E to achieve its goal of maximum accessibility in both languages. 

Attribution. If your submission is published, it will be have two attributions: The first line will be your name; the second line will be Allies for Education. If you choose to publish your paper elsewhere or in different form, please remove Allies for Education from the attribution line.

A4E Membership. The submission of your work to the editors constitutes request for membership in our group, Allies for Education, and your intention to be published in the journal and on our website under both your name and the group name, Allies for Education.

Original Research Studies

Original Research Studies summarize methods and findings of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research projects. Submissions must be brief (typically 1500-2500 words or 5-minute audio/video) and written in an engaging, scholarly style that draws the reader in and stimulates dialogue. References, either in the form of an APA-style list of works cited or text links to referenced works embedded in the text, are required. Accepted submissions will be published in English, and when possible, Spanish translations will be provided. To maximize accessibility, authors of published texts will be invited to record and submit an audio or visual recording of themselves reading their piece; this AV file will be published alongside of the text-based version. Writing Prompt: What recent, original research has been conducted that can help A4E readers to better understand current issues in education? (scholarly in nature, typically 1500-2500 words or 5-7 minute audio/video files)

Accepted submissions will be published via the Allies for Education journal, hosted by the John Spoor Broome Library at CSU Channel Islands through Open Journal Systems (OJS).

Accessibility: Translations of published works, from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English, will be provided when possible. If selected for publication, bilingual authors are encouraged to provide their own translation, to help A4E to achieve its goal of maximum accessibility in both languages. 

Attribution. If your submission is published, it will be have two attributions: The first line will be your name; the second line will be Allies for Education. If you choose to publish your paper elsewhere or in different form, please remove Allies for Education from the attribution line.

A4E Membership. The submission of your work to the editors constitutes request for membership in our group, Allies for Education, and your intention to be published in the journal and on our website under both your name and the group name, Allies for Education.

Perspectives from the Field

Perspectives from the Field communicate personal observations about important issues in education. These must be brief (typically 1500-2500 words or 5-7 minute audio/video submissions) and appropriate for an audience which may include young students. In particular, we seek works that communicate a role perspective that other roles may not often hear or even be aware of.  As a student parent, educator, administrator, elected official, or other community member, what is your experience or perspective on x, y, or z that you wish people in other roles could better understand and take into account when making decisions and taking actions? What constructive discussion questions can you offer your readers? Perspectives from the Field must be submitted with the author's name and contact information; however, these may be published anonymously upon request of the author, to facilitate an openness in Allies for Education on perspectives not typically shared outside of a particular role group. (The request to publish anonymously must be made in Step 1 of the submission process, in the "Comments to the Editor" text box.) Writing Prompt: As a student parent, educator, administrator, elected official, or other community member, what is your experience or perspective on x, y, or z that you wish people in other roles could better understand and take into account when making decisions and taking actions?

Accepted submissions will be published via the Allies for Education journal, hosted by the John Spoor Broome Library at CSU Channel Islands through Open Journal Systems (OJS).

Accessibility: Translations of published works, from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English, will be provided when possible. If selected for publication, bilingual authors are encouraged to provide their own translation, to help A4E to achieve its goal of maximum accessibility in both languages.

Group Membership. The submission of your work to the editors constitutes request for membership in our group, Allies for Education, and your intention to be published in the journal and on our website under both your name (unless you request anonymity through Comments to the Editor in Step 1 of the submission process) and the group name, Allies for Education.

Self Care and Health

Self Care and Health works provide personal perspectives from the field or summarize research findings by respected scholars on important topics in health and physical education. Submissions must be brief (typically 1500-2500 words or 5-7 minute audio or video submissions), using an engaging, narrative style that draws the reader in and stimulates dialogue. In-text citations should be kept to a minimum. References, either in the form of an APA-style reference list of works summarized or text links to referenced works (preferably embedded in the text), are required. Accepted submissions will be published in English, and when possible, Spanish translations will be provided. To maximize accessibility, authors of published texts will be invited to record and submit an audio or visual recording of themselves reading their piece; this AV file will be published alongside of published text-based works. Writing Prompt:  What research findings and perspectives from the field in health and/or physical education are important for A4E readers (i.e., parents, educators, students, administrators, elected officials, and other community members) to understand and be able to discuss with each other?

Accepted submissions will be published via the Allies for Education journal, hosted by the John Spoor Broome Library at CSU Channel Islands through Open Journal Systems (OJS).

Accessibility: Translations of published works, from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English, will be provided when possible. If selected for publication, bilingual authors are encouraged to provide their own translation, to help A4E to achieve its goal of maximum accessibility in both languages. 

Attribution. If your submission is published, it will be have two attributions: The first line will be your name; the second line will be Allies for Education. If you choose to publish your paper elsewhere or in different form, please remove Allies for Education from the attribution line.

A4E Membership. The submission of your work to the editors constitutes request for membership in our group, Allies for Education, and your intention to be published in the journal and on our website under both your name and the group name, Allies for Education.

Creative Works

Creative Works include but are not limited to original text-based and/or spoken word poetry, music, artwork, and short stories about personal experiences or perspectives in education (as parent, educator, student, administrator, or other community member). Creative Works must be brief (typically 1000 words or fewer for text-based submissions; 3-5 minutes for audio/video submissions) and appropriate for an audience which may include young students. Published creative works will appeal to a broad audience (i.e., parents, educators, students, administrators and/or other community members) and provoke conversation about important issues in education. Writing Prompt:  How can creativity put readers in better touch with education topics currently relevant to students, parents, educators, administrators, and/or others?

Accepted submissions will be published via the Allies for Education journal, hosted by the John Spoor Broome Library at CSU Channel Islands through Open Journal Systems (OJS).

Accessibility: Translations of published works, from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English, will be provided when possible. If selected for publication, bilingual authors are encouraged to provide their own translation, to help A4E to achieve its goal of maximum accessibility in both languages.

Attribution. If your submission is published, it will be have two attributions: The first line will be your name; the second line will be Allies for Education. If you choose to publish your paper elsewhere or in different form, please remove Allies for Education from the attribution line.

Group Membership. The submission of your work to the editors constitutes request for membership in our group, Allies for Education, and your intention to be published in the journal and on our website under both your name and the group name, Allies for Education.

Book Reviews

Book Reviews highlight texts for particular audiences (e.g., new children's books, young adult literature, books for parents, books for educators). We are looking for brief reviews, approximately 2-3 paragraphs in length, with at least one paragraph summarizing the content and at least one paragraph providing analysis/critique and audience recommendations. Book review submissions must include full citation and book cover image or link. Writing Prompt: What is the best new book you’ve read that you would recommend for readers in one of the following categories? Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction, Parenting Books, Books for Educators

Accepted submissions will be published via: 

  • Journal. The Allies for Education journal is hosted by the John Spoor Broome Library at CSU Channel Islands through Open Journal Systems (OJS).
  • Website. As a way to preview journal submissions and increase accessibility and availability to the general public,  selected works published in the A4E journal may be published on the Allies4Education.org website (currently under development).

Accessibility: Translations of published works, from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English, will be provided when possible. If selected for publication, bilingual authors are encouraged to provide their own translation, to help A4E to achieve its goal of maximum accessibility in both languages.

Attribution. If your submission is published, it will be have two attributions: The first line will be your name; the second line will be Allies for Education. If you choose to publish your paper elsewhere or in different form, please remove Allies for Education from the attribution line.

Group Membership. The submission of your work to the editors constitutes request for membership in our group, Allies for Education, and your intention to be published in the journal and on our website under both your name and the group name, Allies for Education.

Copyright Notice

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.